As I write this guide, it is August 28th, 2025. Just yesterday, most of the nation was in their second day back to school, and we already witnessed a tragic school shooting in Minneapolis. This morning, the Uprise Armory team woke up to several messages from concerned parents looking for backpack armor. I have felt a lump of sadness in my throat all day as we have worked with parents on solutions that work for their kids. While backpack armor isn't something we put much focus on in the past, we have some options that can work for you, and I hope we can provide you with some peace of mind. I am writing this guide to help you understand the complicated world of body armor and what you may need.
Legal: Please check school and state policies regarding bulletproof backpacks as there may be some restrictions. The state of New York explicitly bans wearing bullet resistant clothing or accessories. Connecticut has banned the online purchase of body armor.
Backpacks and Non-Ballistic Backpacks
There are now commercially available bullet-resistant level IIIA backpacks. However, this is not the only means of upgrading your backpack to ballistic capabilities. Many backpacks come with a slot for laptops. These are usually the perfect pockets for armor inserts, which we will discuss in detail. Here is an example of what you need to look for.
This backpack would fit 9" x 11" inserts.
This backpack would fit a 10" x 12" insert.
Understanding Armor Inserts
Many parents are seeking inserts to slip into their child's backpack to offer ballistic protection. These inserts are similar to the ballistic plates used in ballistic body armor worn by security and law enforcement around the world. There are hundreds of options to choose from that offer protection from pistols, shotguns, rifles, or sometimes all three. These inserts are usually rated by the NIJ (National Institute of Justice) to a specific protection rating. The NIJ wrote the standard for ballistic protection levels, and it's what the armor industry uses to categorize threat protection profiles.
For Armor Inserts to work best, we recommend backpacks with laptop slots toward the rear. These usually work with inserts.
A Quick Overview of NIJ Ratings
Reference this chart if you're looking to protect against a specific firearm type.
| NIJ Rating Level | Protection Capabilities | Specific Caliber |
| Level IIA | Some Pistols and Shotguns | 9mm and .40 S&W (Short Barrel) |
| Level II | Some Pistols and Shotguns | 9mm and .357 Magnum (Short Barrel) |
| Level IIIA | Most Pistols and Shotguns | .357 SIG and .44 Magnum (Long Barrel/Higher Velocity) |
| Level III | Some Rifles, All Pistols, and Shotguns | 7.62 FMJ Lead Core Ammo (Rifle Velocity) |
| Level III+ | Most Rifles, All Pistols, And Shotguns | Manufacturer Specific. Read Product Descriptions, Usually Mild Steel Core 5.56 (Green Tip) (Varying Velocity) |
| Level IV | Most Armor-Piercing Rifles, All Pistols, and Shotguns | 30-06 M2AP Tungsten Carbide Core Ammunition (Excessive Velocity) |
A note on Level III+
Level III+ is technically not a designated NIJ level. It was created by armor manufacturers because the gap between Level III and Level IV is massive. For example, the mild steel core green tip 5.56 (m855) is an extremely common round that cannot be stopped by many level III plates. However, level III armor is capable of stopping lead core FMJ 5.56 (m193). Because of this gap, many armor companies created Level III+ to close these gaps and rate their plates for more specific rounds. Since each manufacturer has different capabilities for Level III+, it is important that you read the product descriptions closely.
At Uprise Armory LLC, we only sell plates as level III+ if it is capable of stopping M855A1 out of a standard 16" barrel. M855A1 is the US military's new hardened steel core 5.56 round. It is nearly impossible for the average person to acquire M855A1, but it ensures protection from all easily accessible, lesser threat 5.56 and 7.62 rounds.
What Level of Protection Should You Look For?
Most commercially available backpack armor is level IIIA. This is because it's easy to produce in various shapes, lightweight, and flexible. However, the most devastating school shootings in recent days have been done with high-powered rifles like the 5.56 AR-15. In these instances, IIIA armor simply would not cut it.
Let's look at the statistics. Between 1982 and 2024, there have been 213 mass shootings with 3 or more casualties.
117 used Handguns
30 used Shotguns
66 used Rifles
While IIIA does protect against the majority of shootings, it should be noted that rifles like the AR-15 are being used more and more frequently.
Pistol / Shotgun Armor Inserts (Level IIA - IIIA)
We are grouping pistols and shotguns because typically, these armor plates are capable of stopping both. Though shotguns are devastating and carry a lot of kinetic energy, they're usually horrible at penetrating armor. Slugs can penetrate IIIA, but this is rare and usually only happens to very old Kevlar or extremely low-quality armor.
These soft armor inserts are comfortable and lightweight. They are perfect for younger children who can't bear the weight of heavier rifle-rated armor.
Rifle Armor Inserts (Level III - IV)
Rifle armor inserts are generally rigid and hard armor. We have both pure UHMWPE (ultra-high-molecular-weight-polyethylene) and ceramic options available. UHMWPE is very lightweight and even floats on water! The downside is that it's not capable of stopping even mild steel core munitions, and these can be extremely common depending on where you live.
Ceramic plates are the best plates for rifle-rated protection, without a doubt. However, they are heavier than all of the other options. Additionally, they are more expensive.
What We Offer at Uprise Armory LLC
Give our customer service a call for a custom quote and invoice to assist you and choosing the right solution. We are working on adding backpack armor to the website and will update this part of the blog post when it's ready. If you would like, we can even sew a custom fabric around the armor, such as Batman, Spiderman, or Barbie fabric.
Conclusion and Final Notes
While ballistic backpacks offer peace of mind and can protect you or your loved ones during a mass shooting, they're not a reliable solution to the very real issue we have in this country. For instance, in my school growing up, we were not allowed to have our backpacks with us in class. If there were a school shooting, I would never have had access to my backpack. During yesterday's shooting, the students were in Church. They likely did not have access to their backpacks either. Alternative, more effective means to protect our children need to be done, but until then, the best peace of mind we can offer is ballistic backpacks.